Using A Fake Distended Stomach, Maternity Shoot Becomes A Trend Among Gen Z Not Pregnant

JAKARTA - The trend of photos of pregnancy or materility shoot is now not only popular among women who are pregnant. In Generation Z circles, especially in China, a unique phenomenon appears where young women who are not married and not pregnant actually use fake distended stomachs for pregnancy photo sessions.

Reported by VOI from the South China Morning Post page on Monday, December 23, 2024, this trend of pregnancy photos called 'premade dignity shoot' was carried out by women who wanted to celebrate their important moments before aging. They hope to capture images that show in the best times of their lives.

This phenomenon shocked many parents in China. Those who wonder what the concept of 'race but pregnancy', which used to be considered embarrassing in Chinese culture, has now become popular among Generation Z.

China continues to face a low trend in the number of marriages and a decrease in birth rates. According to the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, in the first nine months of 2024, only 4.75 million couples were registered as married.

However, amid this decline, the trend of 'photo combatity shoot' stole the public's attention after a video shared by influencer from Hunan, China named Meizi Gege.

In October 2024, Meizi shared a photo of a materility shoot featuring herself with a fake stomach, while showing off her slim body.

"While I was still sleek, I wore a fake stomach to take a photo of my pregnancy and enjoy the life that has been prepared. I even did it with my best friend," he said.

In the video, the photographer appears to be pairing accessories in Meizi. While others helped him wear a 'fake monkey'. Then, he felt proud to show off his perfect body.

A woman who saw the video was also interested in following the trend.

"I just learned something new. I'm going to buy a fake stomach and take a photo of the pregnancy while my body is still slim. How can it be that smart?" answered the other influencer.

A 26-year-old woman also revealed that she had done a depth shoot at the age of 23, although not married and not pregnant. Others revealed that she had taken wedding photos at the age of 22,

"Just in case, so that I look like I don't have wrinkles when I'm 30," said the netizen.

Following this trend is quite easy. All you need is a fake stomach that is available in various textures and sizes for the initial, mid, and final stages through online stores.

The popularity of such photos is driven by the desire of women to ensure that they have beautiful pregnancy photos without changes in body shape that may occur during pregnancy.

However, there are public concerns that this trend actually strengthens "white, sleek, and young" beauty standards, which can increase anxiety about body appearance and image among young mothers.

These photos often imply that women must maintain a slim and youthful body during pregnancy, a hope that is considered unrealistic by many parties.

This trend sparked humorous and enthusiastic discussions among Chinese netizens.

"I'm going to take a photo of my 70th birthday now, then post it on social media later. It will make me look very young!" wrote the netizen.

"I will look for time to arrange a photo of the funeral before I die," said another netizen.

"I had to take more photos while I was young, so I could use it for online dating when I was older." another netizen continued.